The St. Louis Blues are becoming fixtures at the NHL Winter Classic, and 2025 is no exception. According to breaking reports from Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Blues will be the visitors at the 2025 Winter Classic, which the Chicago Blackhawks will host at the historic Wrigley Field.
This is set to become the Blues’ third Winter Classic appearance in eight seasons, as they also hosted the event in 2017 and were the visitors at Target Field in 2022 (originally scheduled for 2021, but postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic). This ties the Blues with the Blackhawks for the most appearances in the Winter Classic during that stretch, and the 2025 matchup will be the reverse fixture of the 2017 Winter Classic that saw the two archrivals face off at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Heartland Rivalry Renewed
The Blues and Blackhawks are set to become the first repeat matchup in Winter Classic history, but that should come as no surprise. Though they might not receive the headline attention of some other feuds in the NHL, Chicago and St. Louis have a storied rivalry that has only intensified over the last decade-plus, when both have been constantly in contention for the NHL Central Division crown. It’s fitting that the two teams will square off in the home stadiums of the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Cubs, whose rivalry is a lot more notorious.
The Blackhawks and Blues both find themselves in new eras. The Blackhawks’ efforts at a rebuild got supercharged last summer when they won the NHL Draft Lottery and selected Connor Bedard, universally viewed as the league’s next superstar. In fact, some argue his presence earned them the Winter Classic all by itself. The Blues are going about their rebuild a little more slowly, but with young stars like Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, they have the guns to keep up with Bedard and co. in the frigid conditions at Wrigley.
Jersey Watch in Effect
One of the big intrigues about every year’s Winter Classic is the dedicated sweaters the team wear for the event. The Blues’ jerseys for the 2017 matchup are considered among the best in Winter Classic history (and their sweaters in the 2022 edition are also ranked highly), so they have big expectations to meet. The Blackhawks, who will take the lead in all-time Winter Classic appearances with this entry, have had plenty of opportunities to create a jersey, with mixed results.
Whatever the sweaters end up looking like, the eyes of the hockey world will be focused on Wrigley Field on New Year’s Day in 2025. It will be a chance for both the Blues and the Blackhawks to have a “coming out” party for their new eras. The Blues will be hoping that it ends the way their last two Winter Classic appearances have ended: with a decisive victory over a division rival.
